Fallen Earth Catch All (UPDATED!)

If any of you want into a clan, feel free to contact me in-game. I'm a senior member in Lords of War, an active, mid-size clan open to players of all levels and factions.

Is your in game name ruhk?

Yes. I'm typically on around 10p-1a GMT -6.

The "Bloodsports" patch was released last week. It was a big one. They revamped and improved a lot of the animations- especially melee animations, added a pvp battlegrounds system, opt-in clan-based open world pvp, an achievements system, an entirely new zone with new quests and instances, new crafting recipes and gear, a new mount (a blight wolf- it's freaking HUGE), new types of mobs, raised the level cap to 50, and probably most wanted of all: a one-time respec option.

I just jumped into this game after getting a free key from Massively. So far, I am enjoying very much as a change of pace from the last few games I have been playing. I don't know if I will play it consistently (I have lifetimes to LotRO, CO, and STO, and a total play time per week of <4 hours ) but I see it being like CoH and Eve are for me: I pay/play 1 or 2 months per year, just enough to have fun but not to start feeling like it is a job.

I am tailoring my char to be rifle-focused, but the little bit of research I have done suggests that it could be a gimp build. I almost always end up picking a "gimp" class, with or without fore-knowledge, but I almost always still have fun with them. I rarely make it to endgame in any game, though, that could be part of it I don't want to put time into it if it really is seriously gimped though, I would rather start again before I invest to much time. What is the point of the previous rambling? Would I still be okay to continue with my rifle character, assuming I don't have a lot of interest in PvP or end game, other than occasional dabbling?

(sorry for the rambling!)

My main has been rifle since I started playing last july- when they say that rifles are gimped, they are talking about in PvP, and even then it's not that much. In PvE rifles work very well, and tend towards a more deliberate, relaxed style of play compared to the frantic "I'm gonna wade into that group of mobs swinging my golf club and hope I kill them all before I die" style that melee promotes. Pistols are an okay build, but they go through so much ammo that it's probably not a good first choice for a character unless you want to spend all your free time making ammunition or scavenging for stuff to sell to purchase it. Speaking of crafting, the attribute dependencies for rifles and crafting mesh very well, making it an excellent choice if you want to explore the game's deep crafting aspect.

That being said, you start the game with each type of weapon, so feel free to try each out and find what you like, you really don't need to worry about spending AP and locking yourself into a build until you get into sector 2, join a faction and start accessing mutations.

Excellent, thanks ruhk. I am enjoying the rifle, well, pellet gun really I have a big ass board that I have started using for the easy stuff to save on ammo, and I am a few mats away from crafting an improved pellet gun (just need some gears, which I have not seen at all yet, except at vendor). I spent almost my last chips on getting my improved riding horse, which will be waiting for me when I next log in.

It really is a fun game so far, and I do like the crafting system. I am almost starting to feel like the rest of the game is there to support the crafting, rather than the other way around, but so far I don't feel that is a bad thing

One question I have not found a good answer too yet: To salvage something, do you have to have the exact recipe for that item? I ask because so far I have not been able to salvage anything yet. I got 2 basic zip guns from a camp, and replaced my starter zip guns (I just like the look of having 2 pistols hanging there ) but I couldn't even salvage those basic zip guns and I do have the recipes for the first few zip guns.

Senkrad wrote:

One question I have not found a good answer too yet: To salvage something, do you have to have the exact recipe for that item? I ask because so far I have not been able to salvage anything yet. I got 2 basic zip guns from a camp, and replaced my starter zip guns (I just like the look of having 2 pistols hanging there ) but I couldn't even salvage those basic zip guns and I do have the recipes for the first few zip guns.

You don't need the recipe to be able to salvage something, you just need the appropriate level in the relevant skill and the appropriate tradekit, so to salvage a zip gun you would need to have a ballistics kit and a high enough ballistics crafting skill. You could be lacking one of those, but there are also some low-level items that are too low-quality to be salvageable, your starter weapons for instance. Also, if you take damage or get debuffed while salvaging something it interrupts the salvage and you would have to start over.

Senkrad wrote:

I have a big ass board that I have started using for the easy stuff to save on ammo, and I am a few mats away from crafting an improved pellet gun (just need some gears, which I have not seen at all yet, except at vendor).

I'm assuming you're still in the southern half of S1? Certain mats have low drop rates in the south but become more common the further north you go. Gears are one of them. If you are in the south, though, I would advise just cruising around on the roads and highways between towns- car wreckage yields gears even at low levels, along with several other types of mats that are extremely valuable at low levels, and in amounts considerably higher than most other nodes, though what you get and how much is a bit random so you may need to scavenge a few cars before you find what you need.

Yes, I think it was a problem of trying to salvage too low.

I am actually in Zaneville, and I got my first 2 gears in a mission at the airport there. The reward for the mission was...a better slugthrower than even the next level that I could make I think I am good for a little while now, so I am going to head to some of the other towns to pick up the extra AP and books. Now, I need to craft me some armour. The best piece I have is another reward item, a vest, but the rest are all crappy drops, and I have quite a few empty slots.

Thanks ruhk!

Massively's most recent podcast features a lengthy interview with FE's Director of Content Development, Wes Platt. He talks about some of the upcoming new game mechanics, graphic improvements and changes to the factions, among other things. Lots of cool stuff.

starting today and running through august 4th, anyone who has previously subscribed or had a trial account gets two free weeks of game time, with the standard restrictions on chat/trade/auction being lifted from trial accounts. I think this is intended to coincide with an impending patch which is supposed to introduce vehicle customization, another overhaul of the starting areas and pvp systems, and the introduction of a proper limited respec system.

yes, I'm still playing.

Anybody still playing? I'm downloading the trail right now.

I haven't had the time to log in for about a week, but yes, theoretically. My main is "ruhk."

Once you actually log in and start playing you should look into joining "T.E.M.P.S.," it's a player-run introductory clan designed to help, answer questions and give new players a foothold in the game. It's a big world and the in-game tutorial really only covers the basics.

Thanks

I'm thoroughly enjoying my trial and plan to subscribe when it ends. It has been bug free for the 4 days I've played. Lots to do, fun crafting, interesting quests. It will get me through until GW2 or Fallout or some other mmo comes along.

This game tempts me back but once SWTOR comes along I know I'll drop everything for it. I don't want the guilt of not giving this game my all.

misterglass wrote:

This game tempts me back but once SWTOR comes along I know I'll drop everything for it. I don't want the guilt of not giving this game my all. :(

Dude, you don't pass up a quick fling with the cute cheerleader just because a couple of years from now you're going to be in a relationship with a supermodel. Don't worry about giving the game your all, just give it your some and tell it it should be happy to get that!

There was a new patch today which is supposed to further refined combat animations and tweak the UI, though I haven't had time to check it out, yet.
Today also brought another State of The Game announcement, which are always full of cool stuff. Of the half-dozen or so items to look forward to in the coming months, one stands out:

Fallen Earth wrote:

Progress Towns, a PvE feature, will add all-new content to the Wasteland. Within certain areas, factions are attempting to build new towns…while the remnants of Alec Master's forces are trying to tear them down. In Progress Towns, players can run all new missions in an effort to build a town, from the ground up, for their Faction. While special defenses may be crafted to help protect and defend your newly formed faction town, beware, it won’t be an easy task to maintain control.

Friend and I used our nice PAX codes to start up FE this week. So far we're at level 10 and this crafting thing has taken more time than leveling. The fact that we can craft all the professions just makes us grind and farm for all the mats like crazy!

Fun times

Hm. I've been busy playing Rift lately, and finally logged back in to FE for the first time in a month, only to discover that my clan had dissolved. Considering our numbers had dwindled from several hundred to under dozen in the last year, despite recent updates, upgrades and new content. I think it may be time for me to finally throw in the towel.

I just don't think the game was ready to be released when it was, and even though many of the half-baked mechanics have now been fixed or improved, it was too late to save it from the languishing decline it seems to be in, now. Oh well, I had fun, but I think it's time for me to go. Farewell, you crazy apocalypse.

I still have great memories of the couple months I spent in this game but I too never really see myself going back. Shame, really.

Fallen Earth just got bought by Gamersfirst. This may indicate a) the game going F2P in the next few months and b) that somebody may have been ready to throw in the towel. I always thought of this one as unique enough to survive in it's little niche, much like EVE, but apparently not. Question is, can it survive as F2P with a small, but dedicated community?

To no great surprise, FE F2P officially announced:

Just how free-to-play will it be?

There will essentially be four tiers of this new business model: completely free, plus the Silver, Gold, and VIP subscription levels. The subscriptions will offer reward points, much as the game does now, but with even more items to purchase with those points. Keep in mind that these may not be the official names of the subscription tiers on release.

Free: This is to be considered an unlimited free trial, by which players will be allowed to play the game from end to end completely free if they'd like. They just won't earn any reward points.

Silver: This tier will cost less than the current sub price (which is currently $14.99 a month) and provide the same content. All subscriptions (Silver, Gold, and VIP) will also earn enhanced XP gain.

Gold: This will cost the same as the current sub fee but offer more reward points and bonuses each month, which can be spent in the item shop. So you'll be getting more for the same price.

VIP: With this top tier (which will most likely cost more than the current sub fee), players will have the ability to share their VIP bonuses with everyone in their party in the form of a VIP "aura." So if one person in your party is VIP but the rest are free players, everyone in the group will still reap the rewards of this aura. These rewards are also stackable, so if you have a full party of VIP members, you can expect some crazy boosts for everyone in the group.

Also, the game will be a free download from the GamersFirst site, but the company will not be removing either the current stock of boxed copies being sold in brick and mortar stores or the Steam digital download. If you do buy a boxed copy, you'll get some sort of subscription compensation to equal things out. Details on this haven't been finalized yet.

What will be offered in the item shop?

This is something that hasn't been set in stone yet, but some examples given were items that decrease crafting time and the possibility of more cosmetic content.

Many of the items in the item shop will be available to purchase for both GamersFirst credits (something used for all of its games) and Fallen Earth reward points. This allows you to pay through game means or just outright with cash.

When does this new business model start?

There's no definite date yet, but the developers say it should be within the next few months if all goes well.

Will the game's development change?

Marie says that the current development schedule is on target and will remain intact. Past Alpha County, the team hopes to introduce more player-driven content with long-term features. This is something it has discussed previously (especially with progress towns) and is still aiming to deliver. With the added resources from GamersFirst, the development goals should be easier to reach, but the design decisions themselves will not be dictated by GamersFirst.

Neat. I'll probably return once the new model is enacted. I find myself missing it more than I thought I would.

As someone who only played about 5 hours of some newbie zone (and enjoyed it more than all but two other MMOs), how does the game pan out eventually? What I mean is, which of these games' atmospheres does it re-create the most: Fallout 3, Stalker or Borderlands? Of course the combat is still MMOish as far as I remember (lock on plus castbar) and the crafting seems to be more than a gimmick, but in the end it's a mature MMO which most people will venture into on their own. So the vibe would go a long way in keeping people motivated.

Luggage wrote:

As someone who only played about 5 hours of some newbie zone (and enjoyed it more than all but two other MMOs), how does the game pan out eventually? What I mean is, which of these games' atmospheres does it re-create the most: Fallout 3, Stalker or Borderlands? Of course the combat is still MMOish as far as I remember (lock on plus castbar) and the crafting seems to be more than a gimmick, but in the end it's a mature MMO which most people will venture into on their own. So the vibe would go a long way in keeping people motivated.

The setting actually changes significantly as you progress through the game. The first sector, which encompasses the starter towns up to the level 16-20 zones, is probably the least interesting and most blandly monochromatic area in the game, being mostly Fallout-ish desert and wasteland. Probably not a great design decision. Sector 2 is more settled and greener, consisting of small forests, grasslands and settlements that actually look as though people are living there, instead of just squatting in ruins like in S1.
Sector 2 is also where they introduce a lot of new mechanics such as faction membership (which heavily influences character development), mutations (basically the equivalent of magic) and conflict towns (pvp settlements that can be "captured" by factions and held against opposing factions for special buffs, rewards and mats).
Sector 3 is mostly heavy forest and expands upon faction progression and pvp. Some of my favorite areas are in S3, including the now-defunct Monkeytown, a settlement of genetically-engineered gorillas that was destroyed during a live world story event last year.

Luggage wrote:

Of course the combat is still MMOish as far as I remember (lock on plus castbar)...

I played for a couple months shortly after launch but I don't recall combat to be like that. Of course I was a rifle user and combat was like a 3rd person shooter with the ability to zoom in with my scope and whether I hit or not depended on how good my actual aim with the mouse was. Maybe that's changed since then?

Kehama wrote:
Luggage wrote:

Of course the combat is still MMOish as far as I remember (lock on plus castbar)...

I played for a couple months shortly after launch but I don't recall combat to be like that. Of course I was a rifle user and combat was like a 3rd person shooter with the ability to zoom in with my scope and whether I hit or not depended on how good my actual aim with the mouse was. Maybe that's changed since then?

It has changed a little, but if anything it's become more action oriented. There IS some standard mmo select-and-cast, but it's mostly limited to the special abilities like buffs and mutations.

So I saw a blogger talking about this the other day and DL'd/Installed it. For what it is, it's pretty decent IMO, very Fallout-ish. Not sure I'm thrilled with the proposed F2P tiers listed up thread, as the trial version is very, very limited(no auction house, etc). But all in all, it's not too shabby.

Anime, I just reinstalled this today. If you need any crafting let me know on here and, I'll see what I can do. I'm mostly geared towards guns/ammo crafting and have a healthy stock of all firearm ammo laying around. I also can craft some decent horses too and, have a key for the ATV that I'm not sure if I'll ever turn into something else.

Can't say I will be putting a lot of time in but, might tinker around for the heck of it. The game just got boring to me once I was out of the low level areas and got up into the hills.

My char is Dierii Ahnne.

Will do. It's more of a distraction than anything right now, given that I'm a trial. I might pick it up when it goes F2P after I get back home, but no real idea on that as yet.